You may begin courses during the fall, spring, or summer semesters. The academic calendar provides the start dates, and many other useful calendar items, for upcoming semesters
including drop deadlines.
You may find your bill by going to My Missouri State > Search for “University Account-
Billing" (click “View All Cards” at top right to search). From this page, you will
be able to access your account, make payments, view your account information, account
summary, etc. If you have questions, you may contact Financial Services.
We encourage all students to complete a FAFSA. If you have questions about your financial aid package, please schedule an appointment
with a Financial Aid counselor. You can review your financial aid offers in My Missouri State > Financial
Aid and Scholarships.
During the fall and spring semesters, full-time status for graduate students is 9
semester hours. Part-time is 5 hours. During the summer semester, full-time is 6 hours,
and part-time is 3 hours.
Communication will occur through your Missouri State University (BearMail) email address.
Your advisor may also text you if something is particularly time sensitive, although
no academic or personal details will ever be included in a text message. Please check
your Missouri State email frequently to ensure you are not missing important communications.
Students must complete the MOVECHS fingerprinting requirement in their first semester
of the SEACT program. MSU cannot use fingerprints and background checks from other
institutions. The MOVECHS fingerprinting will not expire while an active student (taking
a semester off – not including summers – will require new fingerprints). Results can
take 1-2 weeks to return to MSU from the time of fingerprinting and can be seen in
My Missouri State > My Student Records > Test Scores.
All SEACT graduate coursework can be completed virtually. Courses will be either online
asynchronous or online synchronous (has weekly meeting times via Zoom). However, practicums
and student teaching will require a seated component in a special education classroom.
Special Education Mild/Moderate Cross-Categorical K-12 certification To seek Initial Professional DESE certification, you will need to:
Complete all coursework required for certification
Pass the Missouri teacher certification exam (Praxis)
Complete all student teaching requirements, including the MEES assessment
The Praxis exam must be attempted before student teaching (usually the semester prior). It must be passed in order to be certified. Register for the Praxis through the Praxis website. Many testing centers require additional sitting fees, and some assessments are available
online. Previously passed Missouri Content Assessments (MOCA) will be honored for
Missouri teacher certification.
Praxis test “Special Education: Foundational Knowledge” (5355), if taken after July
1, 2024.
MOCA “Mild/Moderate Cross Categorical Special Education” (050), if passed prior to
June 23, 2024.
Yes. Students in the SEACT program are eligible for a Provisional Teaching license
upon acceptance in the program.
Students must follow this process to apply for a provisional:
Be enrolled in the SEACT program.
Be offered a teaching position in an approved Special Education classroom setting.
To request approval, please contact Kaleigh Pickett (KaleighPickett@MissouriState.edu).
Some districts have a special arrangement with the university and offer some of the
required courses through the district. Please inquire with your supervisor if your
district is one of those. SEACT students can take four courses as PLAs if available
through the district: SPE 715, SPE 664, SPE 621, and SPE 660. If you enroll in one
of these courses, be sure to tell them you are a graduate student as you have additional
work to be done. (PLA stands for “Prior Learning Assessment.”)
All SPE coursework must be completed with a grade of B- or higher to apply to the
MSED in Special Education degree.
A graduate student becomes ineligible to continue in their current graduate program
if more than 9 semester hours of "C+" or lower are earned in graduate courses taken
in the degree program, or if the student does not meet any additional specific degree
retention requirements imposed by an academic unit or program. Please read the Graduate Program Persistence Requirements.
At the beginning of the program, you will take SPE794: Research Methodology and Statistics
in Educational Studies. Near the end of the SEACT program, you will take SPE788: Research
Seminar in Special Education, where you will conduct research on a project in an area
related to special education. These courses meet all research and comprehensive exam
requirements.
Yes, applying for teacher certification in Missouri is dependent upon passing a student
teaching course and receiving passing scores on the MEES evaluation administered in
this course. You will complete SPE789: Supervised Teaching at the end of the SEACT program. You will need to complete all the course requirements
for SPE789.
You may be able to complete student teaching in your current position. Kaleigh Pickett
(KaleighPickett@MissouriState.edu) can work with you and your district administration to determine if you can remain
in your current building.
